Pretoria, 31 May 2022 – Alongside the critically acclaimed Defender 90 and Defender 110, the Defender 130 adds another dimension to the all-conquering family of all-terrain vehicles, with adventuring opportunities for up to eight adults across three rows of full-size seating.

Defender capability: Increase in body length retains the Defender’s unstoppable off-road capability and articulations, and three rows of seating in 2+3+3 arrangement

Trademark design: Defender silhouette elegantly extended by 340mm, for enhanced interior space with vast maximum load capacity of 2,516 litres and three rows of full-size seating

Sophisticated explorer: Exclusive new Sedona Red colour and Four Zone Climate Control are uniquely available on Defender 130, with standard air suspension for enhanced comfort

Extended Bright Pack: Striking exterior option pack gives New Defender 130 a unique character, with Ceres Silver Satin finish to lower body cladding around the entire vehicle

Versatile interior: Room for up to eight to travel in comfort across three rows, plus large, flexible load area and a comprehensive choice of Defender accessories

Advanced technology: New Defender 130 is fitted with larger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen as standard, while occupants enjoy purer air with advanced Cabin Air Purification Plus as standard

what3words navigation: New Defender 130 can find and navigate to any 3m square on the planet, without the need for a phone signal, using the advanced Pivi Pro infotainment system

Unique ambiance: Sophisticated interior provided by Light Oyster leather and new Natural Light Oak veneer, with white powder-coated Cross Car Beam and extended chrome detailing

First Edition: Carefully curated First Edition represents the very best of New Defender 130 and is available in three high-specification configurations, each with a distinct design theme

Celebratory commission: Land Rover celebrates Queen's Platinum Jubilee year by gifting Her Majesty a specially commissioned Defender 130 for use by the British Red Cross

Like the Defender 90 and 110, the new 130 body design borrows its name from the original Defender family, inspired by the longest model in the line-up. It allows customers to effortlessly transport up to eight people across any terrain and is the ultimate demonstration of Defender’s breadth of talents. A host of exterior and interior design enhancements and technologies distinguish New Defender 130, uniquely balancing comfort with customary Defender durability and capability.

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Land Rover is gifting Her Majesty and the British Red Cross a specially commissioned New Defender 130 to support operations in the UK. Land Rover engineers will work with representatives from the charity, of which Her Majesty The Queen is a patron, to adapt the Defender 130 before it goes into service later this year.

Land Rover has supported the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) since 1954 and is proud to maintain its relationship with the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. Experts at the IFRC’s global fleet base in Dubai took part in Defender’s global testing programme ahead of its world premiere in 2019.


Nick Collins, Executive Director, Vehicle Programmes, Land Rover, said: “New Defender 130 brings a new dimension of capability to our most durable and rugged family of vehicles. Its spacious interior welcomes and transports up to eight people in supreme comfort, enabling unparalleled sophisticated adventuring opportunities for families, with unique design signatures to create a distinct New Defender experience.”

Defender 130 has its own colour palette, with a new, exclusive Sedona Red option ensuring the 130 stands out in the line-up. The exterior is complemented by the Extended Bright Pack – available in addition to the existing Bright Pack – which provides a distinct exterior design with Ceres Silver Satin finish around all lower body cladding and front and rear skid plates in Noble Chrome.

Inside, thoughtful storage and convenience solutions are provided for every passenger across all three rows of seating. This ensures Defender 130 caters for passengers in every seat, with effortless access to the spacious three-abreast third row in a bright and airy cabin.

The interior design features new colour and material options, providing an amplified all-terrain experience. The latest connected technologies and chassis systems – including a new, larger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen, standard Electronic Air Suspension and Cabin Air Purification Plus – provide the ultimate support and comfort for modern off-road excursions.

The New Defender 130 will be available in South Africa in X-Dynamic HSE and X specifications, in addition to a First Edition. The First Edition is available in three combinations carefully curated by the designers, each one featuring a distinct colour and design theme:


Fuji White with Extended Bright Pack with Light Oyster Full Windsor Leather interior and Natural Light Oak Veneer
Sedona Red with Ebony Full Windsor Leather seats and Smoked Oak Veneer
Carpathian Grey with Vintage Tan Full Windsor Leather and Rough-Cut Walnut Veneer

The First Edition model builds on the HSE specification with an extensive equipment list including Matrix LED headlamps, heated second and third-row seating, four-zone climate control, Meridian Sound System, Driver Assist Pack and Privacy Glass. All feature 20-inch alloy wheels as standard, with a choice of P400 petrol or D300 diesel Ingenium six-cylinder powertrains.

Ensuring adventures begin and end effortlessly, now all Defenders with Keyless Entry – including Defender 130 - feature Approach Unlock and Automated Walkaway Lock. When the key fob is detected approaching the vehicle, it automatically unlocks when it is within 1.5 metres. When leaving the vehicle, New Defender 130 will automatically lock when the key fob is more than 1.5 metres away.



Exterior design

Defender’s iconic silhouette has been elegantly extended by 340mm at the rear to provide enhanced interior space across all three rows, without compromising its unparalleled all-terrain capabilities.

With an unmistakable family resemblance, the Defender 130 features an extended rear overhang that provides even greater interior space in the third row of seats and load area.

The elegant profile is enhanced by the all-new Sedona Red exterior colour option – exclusive to the Defender 130 and adding even greater depth and sophistication to the design, while all models are fitted with a panoramic sunroof as standard, with a second sunroof above the third row also featuring on all Defender 130s.

To maintain the distinctive rear design of the Defender, Land Rover engineers have crafted a subtle boat tail-style uplift that also maximises the unparalleled all-terrain capability customers expect from Defender, providing a departure angle of 28.5 degrees2. The surrounds for the rear LED lighting units have been re-engineered to maintain the three distinct lines that define Defender’s side profile as they rise subtly towards the rear.

Access to the spacious cargo area is unchanged, while a body-colour hard-shell cover for the spare wheel is available, reflecting Defender 130’s positioning at the pinnacle of the Defender line-up. Narvik Black roof rails are fitted as standard, while Defender’s full range of exterior accessories – including the Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban packs – are also available.

The refined proportions of the 130 are enhanced by the optional Extended Bright Pack. In this specification, all lower body panels are finished in Ceres Silver Satin, providing a distinctive finish on vehicles finished in Hakuba Silver, Fuji White and Yulong White. Ceres Silver detailing can be found on the bonnet louvres and side fenders of all Defender 130 models, perfectly complemented by 20-inch Luna alloy wheels, which are available in a Bright Silver finish.

The exterior finish is an extension to the Bright Pack, which features front and rear skid plates in Noble Chrome, complemented by Gloss Black lower bumpers and wheelarch extensions. The two options give Defender 130 customers a choice of distinctive and sophisticated exterior finishes.

Spacious interior

For Defender 130, Land Rover is introducing enhanced colour and material options for customers looking for an even more refined experience, effortlessly balanced with the tough, rugged character and more interior space than ever.

Land Rover engineers have created an impressive interior space by effectively shrink-wrapping interior packaging components around the body-in-white, maximising the amount of usable interior space, without the need for a large on-road footprint.

The elegantly extended rear creates uncompromised accommodation in the third row, with enough width to provide comfortable seating for three adults, while the Defender’s familiar outline ensures generous headroom in all three rows. Additional touches ensure a comfortable passenger experience in the third row, including heated seats, padded armrests, thoughtful storage and USB-C provision to charge devices on the move. Carpets are also fitted throughout to suit the 130’s unique character.

Large windows provide excellent visibility in all three rows of seating while the standard-fit panoramic glass sunroof, which is complemented by a second sunroof above row three, makes the interior light and airy for everyone. Additional comfort is provided by ventilation for each row, with additional ducting providing more heating and air-conditioning capacity via optional Four Zone Climate Control, exclusive to Defender 130.

Passengers in rows two and three also benefit from a small stadium rise, for superior visibility. Getting in to the third row is effortless, as the row two seats slide and fold forwards to provide wide access. From the tailgate, customers can simply lower the Defender’s Electronic Air Suspension with buttons inside the load area to aid with loading items into the rear.

Defender 130 provides a spacious and practical load area, with up to 3893 litres of cargo volume even with the rearmost seats in place. When the seats are not in use, they stow to create a large loading area, giving customers the ultimate choice in configuring the interior arrangement that best suits their needs. They are split in 40:20:40 configuration for added convenience.

For families, ISOFIX child seat attachments are found on up to five of the passenger seats, on the outer seats of the second and third rows, as well as the front passenger seat. The five-seat version of Defender 130 offers a vast load area of up to 2,5161 litres with row two folded.

Luggage capacity3


Defender 130 eight-seat


Defender 130 five-seat

Rows two and three folded


2,291 litres


2,516 litres

Row three folded


1,232 litres


1,329 litres

All three rows in place


389 litres


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New interior options and detailing contribute to a sophisticated cabin environment. Noble Chrome detailing is found on the air vent controls and electric seat switches, while speaker elements are finished in bright Ceres Silver and armrest hinges are finished in Atlas, combining to complement the features of the exterior Extended Bright Pack.

A new material finish – Natural Light Oak engineered wood veneer – is inspired by driftwood and lends a natural, modern look and feel, available to elegantly complement the Light Oyster Perforated Windsor Leather seating. With this choice of seating, the top roll and dashboard hoops are finished in Lunar – set against white powder coat Cross Car Beam elements that provide added depth and contrast. Vintage Tan Perforated Windsor Leather is available across the Defender line-up, while X-Dynamic models can be specified with Robustec fabric in Duo Tone finish.

Up front, Defender 130 features a larger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen as standard following its introduction on Defender 90 and 110 V8, allowing enhanced control over the vehicle’s core functions via a crisp and intuitive display. The curved glass interface provides fast, state-of-the-art functionality and is responsive as soon as the vehicle is started, with a simple menu structure and Software Over The Air capability so it is always up to date.

Drivers can personalise the three-panel layout to suit their preferences and most-used functions. The intelligent system is capable of learning habits and will adapt accordingly, such as suggesting navigation guidance at the beginning of a recognised commute, while also reducing the number of audio instructions via Smart Voice Guidance in familiar surroundings.

New Defender 130 integrates the global location platform, what3words, giving customers accurate and precise navigation even in the most remote environments. British technology company what3words has divided the globe into a grid of 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique, easy-to-remember three-word address.

The integrated technology allows what3words addresses to be inputted directly to the navigation bar on the Pivi Pro Infotainment or via the connected car app, working seamlessly alongside the existing HERE connected navigation and mapping software.

Customers will be able to navigate precisely to any location in the world, faster and more conveniently than ever using just three words – whether finding the perfect place to explore off-road, locating an individual parking space or identifying a specific entrance.

Interior air quality on every trip is enhanced by Cabin Air Purification Plus, which makes its Defender debut in the new 130. It is fitted to the largest Defender in the line-up as standard and combines nanoeTM X technology for allergen reduction and pathogen removal, to help significantly reduce odours and viruses. In addition, CO2 Management and PM2.5 Cabin Air Filtration improve the cabin environment by monitoring interior and exterior air and adjusting accordingly, ensuring occupants experience the best available air quality.

Advanced nanoeTM X technology is scientifically proven to significantly reduce viruses and bacteria and the Purge function allows customers to prime the cabin prior to departure remotely, using their smartphone, to ensure optimum air quality from the very beginning of every journey.




Efficient powertrains

In South Africa the Defender 130 will be available with a powerful and efficient choice of powertrains, including the P400 mild-hybrid Ingenium six-cylinder petrol, and the D300 Ingenium six-cylinder diesel.

Mild-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technology underpins Land Rover’s six-cylinder Ingenium petrol powertrain, providing seamless responses as well as enhanced fuel economy. It uses a 48V Belt-integrated Starter Generator (BiSG) that harvests energy normally lost under braking and deceleration, that is stored and utilised later in the journey, while also making the stop-start system more rapid and efficient.

Petrol:

P400 – 3.0-litre six-cylinder, MHEV, 294kW, 550Nm torque at 2,000-5,000 rpm

Diesel:

D300 – 3.0-litre six-cylinder, 221kW, 650Nm torque at 1,500-2,500 rpm

The P400 achieves 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds, with ample power and refinement, while the D300 provides enhanced torque delivery, smooth responses and impressive fuel economy, alongside a 0-100km/h time of 7.5 seconds.


Unstoppable capability

Every Defender 130 is fitted with Land Rover’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) system and eight-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard. The iAWD technology efficiently and effectively manages the powertrain and power distribution between the front and rear axles, optimising on-road efficiency and all-terrain capability as necessary.

Every Defender 130 is fitted with Electronic Air Suspension with Adaptive Dynamics and Land Rover’s advanced Terrain Response® system for unrivalled all-terrain capability and driver confidence in all environments. The combination of advanced systems ensures comfortable and effortless progress across broken surfaces, delivering agile performance.

The Electronic Air Suspension system allows for up to 430mm of articulation, with 71.5mm of additional lift at the front (73.5mm at the rear) in off-road height to clear obstacles and assist when wading – Defender 130 will ford up to 900mm of water. The Defender’s off-road capability is managed by Land Rover’s Terrain Response® system, which allows the driver to fine-tune the driving experience to any terrain via the Pivi Pro screen.

The foundations for the Defender’s all-conquering all-terrain capability rely on Land Rover’s aluminium-intensive monocoque D7x architecture. With a torsional rigidity of 25kNm/Degree, the Defender is three times more rigid than traditional body-on-frame designs and features the basis for the all-independent air suspension, twin-speed transfer box and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system.

Defender 130 provides towing capacity of up to 3,000kg, while hitching is made easier with the Electronic Air Suspension – controlled via a switch panel inside the tailgate. Detachable and multi-height towbar designs are available for effortless towing.


Defender 130 in numbers:

Length

5,358mm

Width

2,008mm (door mirrors folded)

Height

1,970mm

Wheelbase

3,022mm

Turning circle (kerb to kerb)

12.84m

Front overhang

845mm

Rear overhang

1,491mm

Approach angle2

37.5 degrees

Departure angle2

28.5 degrees

Breakover angle2

27.8 degrees

Ground clearance2

290mm

Articulation

430mm

Maximum wading depth

900mm

Maximum roof load

Static: 300kg

Dynamic: 168kg

Maximum towing weight

3,000kg

Maximum payload

Up to 750kg (8 seats); Up to 800kg (5 seats)

The New Defender 130 will be available in South Africa toward the end of 2022 with pricing to be announced closer to the time.



1 2,516 litres max load capacity for 5-seat model, 2,291 litres for 8-seat model (wet)

2 In off-road height

3 Wet Luggage Volume